Saturday, June 04, 2005
Free To Good Homes
I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, but I found this on a site that dealt with cruelty to animals, click the title to go there for yourselves~I was recently on craigs list and saw many free to good home ads, so I did what I thought was the only thing I could do, I emailed them this post. So far I have gotten one reply, "please don't email me again, how I choose to get rid of my animal is none of your business." Notice the get rid of part. Exactly! I know it's none of my business but what can they do? Take my birthday? Oh well, my doing this is such a small thing, but so many people are uninformed. I'm sure I'm one too.
"Free to Good Homes" Ads
When people can no longer care for a pet, or if their
pets have had babies that they cannot care for, many
people opt to place an ad in a newspaper or website
advertising the unwanted animals as "free to a good
home". While intentions are usually good in these
situations, we strongly advise against this approach.
"Free" is all too often seen as "worthless" in the eye
of the beholder.
Pets obtained for free are are less likely to be
spayed or neutered by their new owners (why bother
with vet bills?), and more likely to be abused and/or
discarded, because "there are plenty more where that
came from!"
A recent study at one animal shelter yielded the
startling statistic that 41% of all owner-surrendered
dogs had been obtained "Free to good home."
This is how some people see your "free" loved one:
# Free snake food.
# Free animal for malicious pranks.
# Free animal to set on fire or insert a firecracker
into.
# Free to breed indiscriminately.
# Free animal to hoard and neglect.
What Is A "Buncher?"
A buncher either steals or "adopts" companion animals
for the purpose of selling the animal. Bunchers can
sell animals for one or more of the following reasons:
# To be used in research labs
# To be used as bait to train dogs in fighting rings
or hunting dogs
# To be used as breeding stock in puppy mills or
catteries
"Bunchers" can be very deceptive and they prey on
people who place "free to good home" ads. They will
sometimes use children as part of the ploy and present
themselves as a "perfect" family. If something sounds
too good to be true, it probably is!
What Are the Alternatives?
A more responsible way to handle pets you cannot care
for is to take them to a local animal shelter or
rescue group. Shelters (and many rescue groups) will
ensure that the animals are properly vaccinated,
spayed or neutered, and placed in a responsible home
where the animals will be cared for properly. When
contacing a shelter or rescue group, find out if they
do home checks. While home-checks are not standard
policy for all facilities, try to place the animals
with facilities that will do a home check.
If the pet was bought from a responsible breeder, the
pet owner should contact the breeder, because he/she
will take back the pet. If animal was not obtained
from a responsible breeder, but is of a particular
breed, contact the appropriate breed rescue
organization.
Visit the websites below to find a shelter or rescue
near you:
* Petfinder
* Pets911
* 1-800-Save-A-Pet
* Yahoo Directory
* World Animal Net
* Adopt An Animal Canada for Canadian residents
If you are concerned about whether or not your pet may
be euthanised if released to a shelter, you can simply
contact the shelter and find out whether or not they
are a "no-kill" facility.
pet-abuse.com
What To Do If You Must Give Your Pet Away
If you absolutely must place the animal yourself,
please be sure to read the HSUS Guidelines For Finding
a Responsible Home For Your Pet to learn ways you can
help ensure the person you are releasing your animal
to is truly willing and capable of caring for your
pet, and be sure to use the animal cruelty database to
check for prior convictions of animal cruelty.
Helpful Tips
* Don't advertise "Free pet"
* Spay/neuter the animal to avoid attracting
backyard breeders or puppy mill operators
* Charge at least $25 to discourage resale of pets
to labs and others
* Ask each prospective owner for his/her
veterinarian's name as a reference and check it.
* Ask for identification in the form of a photo
I.D. Write down the information, or scan/photocopy it
if possible
* Ask for a phone number and explain that you'd
like to check on how the animal's doing. An honest
person will gladly share the information with you.
* Have the person sign an "adoption" contract
concerning your pet stating that they will not go to
research. Having this in writing gives you legal
recourse.
* Ask to visit the place where your pet will live
before your release the pet to the new owner.
Don't assume because someone brings their wife or
children that they are honest and will give your pet a
good home. There are documented case in which
"brokers" brought their children with them when
collecting animals so that they would look
"legitimate".
If time is of the essence and you must leave your pet,
please take it to a reputable public or private
shelter rather than give it away free to someone you
don't know anything about.
Unlike selling a used care or appliance, finding a
home for your beloved pet is an emotional as well as
practical experience. If you act with your heart and
avoid acting in haste, you'll be headed in the right
direction.
What To Do If You See A "Free To Good Home" Ad
Whether it is in a newspaper or on the Internet,
please take a moment and contact the person who is
running the ad. Let them know about the dangers of
"Free To Good Home" ads and tell them to proceed very
carefully with the adoption, including copying
identification (driver's license), checking
references, performing a home check before the
adoption, using a signed application and contract, and
doing follow-ups. Do not feel embarrassed to contact
the person who posted the ad. Many people are grateful
that you took the time to inform them of dangers they
were unaware of.
If the ad you found was on the Internet, contact the
site owner to request that they disallow the posting
of ads for free animals on their site. Also contact
your local newspaper and ask them to run a warning
about placing "Free To Good Home" ads. Visit
HelpingAnimals.Com to view a sample letter.
If there was only some way we could guarantee good and loving homes to all the children that are being conceived and being born. As scary as it seems, and as horrific the implications, it reminds me of what my mother used to say "families should be carefully screened before being able to give birth." Whether it was in regards to herself and my father, or just because of the things she had seen from being a nurse for over 30 years I don't know. I know you get into all kinds of scary territory when you think along those lines, but it is just a thought that I have passed on, and I was just thinking along those lines after reading the news again today.
¶ 6/04/2005 12:09:00 PM
"Free to Good Homes" Ads
When people can no longer care for a pet, or if their
pets have had babies that they cannot care for, many
people opt to place an ad in a newspaper or website
advertising the unwanted animals as "free to a good
home". While intentions are usually good in these
situations, we strongly advise against this approach.
"Free" is all too often seen as "worthless" in the eye
of the beholder.
Pets obtained for free are are less likely to be
spayed or neutered by their new owners (why bother
with vet bills?), and more likely to be abused and/or
discarded, because "there are plenty more where that
came from!"
A recent study at one animal shelter yielded the
startling statistic that 41% of all owner-surrendered
dogs had been obtained "Free to good home."
This is how some people see your "free" loved one:
# Free snake food.
# Free animal for malicious pranks.
# Free animal to set on fire or insert a firecracker
into.
# Free to breed indiscriminately.
# Free animal to hoard and neglect.
What Is A "Buncher?"
A buncher either steals or "adopts" companion animals
for the purpose of selling the animal. Bunchers can
sell animals for one or more of the following reasons:
# To be used in research labs
# To be used as bait to train dogs in fighting rings
or hunting dogs
# To be used as breeding stock in puppy mills or
catteries
"Bunchers" can be very deceptive and they prey on
people who place "free to good home" ads. They will
sometimes use children as part of the ploy and present
themselves as a "perfect" family. If something sounds
too good to be true, it probably is!
What Are the Alternatives?
A more responsible way to handle pets you cannot care
for is to take them to a local animal shelter or
rescue group. Shelters (and many rescue groups) will
ensure that the animals are properly vaccinated,
spayed or neutered, and placed in a responsible home
where the animals will be cared for properly. When
contacing a shelter or rescue group, find out if they
do home checks. While home-checks are not standard
policy for all facilities, try to place the animals
with facilities that will do a home check.
If the pet was bought from a responsible breeder, the
pet owner should contact the breeder, because he/she
will take back the pet. If animal was not obtained
from a responsible breeder, but is of a particular
breed, contact the appropriate breed rescue
organization.
Visit the websites below to find a shelter or rescue
near you:
* Petfinder
* Pets911
* 1-800-Save-A-Pet
* Yahoo Directory
* World Animal Net
* Adopt An Animal Canada for Canadian residents
If you are concerned about whether or not your pet may
be euthanised if released to a shelter, you can simply
contact the shelter and find out whether or not they
are a "no-kill" facility.
pet-abuse.com
What To Do If You Must Give Your Pet Away
If you absolutely must place the animal yourself,
please be sure to read the HSUS Guidelines For Finding
a Responsible Home For Your Pet to learn ways you can
help ensure the person you are releasing your animal
to is truly willing and capable of caring for your
pet, and be sure to use the animal cruelty database to
check for prior convictions of animal cruelty.
Helpful Tips
* Don't advertise "Free pet"
* Spay/neuter the animal to avoid attracting
backyard breeders or puppy mill operators
* Charge at least $25 to discourage resale of pets
to labs and others
* Ask each prospective owner for his/her
veterinarian's name as a reference and check it.
* Ask for identification in the form of a photo
I.D. Write down the information, or scan/photocopy it
if possible
* Ask for a phone number and explain that you'd
like to check on how the animal's doing. An honest
person will gladly share the information with you.
* Have the person sign an "adoption" contract
concerning your pet stating that they will not go to
research. Having this in writing gives you legal
recourse.
* Ask to visit the place where your pet will live
before your release the pet to the new owner.
Don't assume because someone brings their wife or
children that they are honest and will give your pet a
good home. There are documented case in which
"brokers" brought their children with them when
collecting animals so that they would look
"legitimate".
If time is of the essence and you must leave your pet,
please take it to a reputable public or private
shelter rather than give it away free to someone you
don't know anything about.
Unlike selling a used care or appliance, finding a
home for your beloved pet is an emotional as well as
practical experience. If you act with your heart and
avoid acting in haste, you'll be headed in the right
direction.
What To Do If You See A "Free To Good Home" Ad
Whether it is in a newspaper or on the Internet,
please take a moment and contact the person who is
running the ad. Let them know about the dangers of
"Free To Good Home" ads and tell them to proceed very
carefully with the adoption, including copying
identification (driver's license), checking
references, performing a home check before the
adoption, using a signed application and contract, and
doing follow-ups. Do not feel embarrassed to contact
the person who posted the ad. Many people are grateful
that you took the time to inform them of dangers they
were unaware of.
If the ad you found was on the Internet, contact the
site owner to request that they disallow the posting
of ads for free animals on their site. Also contact
your local newspaper and ask them to run a warning
about placing "Free To Good Home" ads. Visit
HelpingAnimals.Com to view a sample letter.
If there was only some way we could guarantee good and loving homes to all the children that are being conceived and being born. As scary as it seems, and as horrific the implications, it reminds me of what my mother used to say "families should be carefully screened before being able to give birth." Whether it was in regards to herself and my father, or just because of the things she had seen from being a nurse for over 30 years I don't know. I know you get into all kinds of scary territory when you think along those lines, but it is just a thought that I have passed on, and I was just thinking along those lines after reading the news again today.
¶ 6/04/2005 12:09:00 PM
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